The continual and rapid development of computers, computer software and related technology has revealed many problems with the typical distribution channels for computer software. For example, computer software, the coded instructions that control a computer's operation, are constantly and incrementally being upgraded and improved. The computer hardware and operating system environment on which the computer software is used is continually being changed, which requires additional changes in the computer software (e.g. new device drivers, new operating system calls, etc.).
A computer software developer will typically release an initial version of a software product. Thereafter, as new and improved computers and peripherals are developed, the software product will commonly be upgraded so as to take full advantage of the increased capabilities of the hardware. In addition, a software developer, to remain competitive, will often upgrade the software product to provide new features and functionality.
With the ever increasing pace of advancement in computer related technologies, software developers compete to be the first to offer a new feature or upgrade. As a result, sometimes software products are made available to the public with unknown errors or defects. Similarly, software products that work as intended on a particular computer with a particular configuration, may fail when installed on a different computer having a different configuration (e.g. different hardware, peripherals, operating systems, etc.). Software developers frequently provide fixes for their software products to correct defects that were undetected or unanticipated at the time the software product was released. Fixes are also provided to allow the software product to function correctly on a new computer or with a different operating system environment.
However, it is often difficult for software developers to make upgrades and fixes available to users. This difficulty not only deprives the user of access to the most reliable and up-to-date software products, it can result in lost sales to the software developer and can damage the goodwill and the development of a long term relationship with a customer by releasing a flawed or deficient software product.
Commonly, mass distribution of commercial software products is accomplished by copying the software product onto storage media (e.g. CD-ROMs, floppy disks, magnetic tapes, etc.). To take advantage of economies of scale, typically a large number of copies of the software product are made during the manufacture of a particular software product. Then, the storage media containing the software product is provided to distributors and retailers for sale to users. However, given the rapid pace of software development, this manner of distribution is frequently insufficient. For example, it is not uncommon that defects are detected and fixes created shortly after a software product is introduced to the public. However, the software products that remain in the distribution chain contain the defect without the fix. This situation is frustrating for users who subsequently purchase the software product that is already obsolete (i.e. because of the defects).
Software can also be distributed over electronic bulletin board systems, the Internet, etc. In such systems, a user connects to the bulletin board and then selects and downloads desired software. Such systems allow for rapid updating of software by simply supplying a new updated version of the software to the bulletin board. However, such systems also require a degree of user sophistication and technical expertise in the selection, downloading and installation of the new software. Moreover, such systems do not provide a user that has already obtained a software product with a simple, automatic way of learning of or obtaining upgrades or fixes for that product. The software provider may also have updated help files and other help utilities about which a user would have no way of knowing.
In accordance with an illustrated embodiment of the present invention, many of the problems associated with obtaining computer software are overcome. A user, with a user computer is allowed to access (e.g. with a modem, an Internet connection, etc.) an update service at a remote location on which is stored a variety of computer software. When a user accesses the remote update service, an update service computer conducts an automatic inventory of the computer software on the user computer. The data collected from the inventory of the user computer software is then used to make comparisons to database entries from a database on the update service computer. The database entries contain information about computer software available on the update service computer. The comparison is conducted to identify software available from the remote update service that might be appropriate for installation on the user computer (i.e. new computer software, new versions of existing computer software, patches or fixes for existing computer software, new help files, etc.). After the comparison is completed, the update service computer makes the computer software stored at the remote update service computer available to the user.
In one aspect of the invention, available computer software can be downloaded from the remote update service computer and installed immediately on the user computer. Another aspect of the invention allows the update service computer to contact the user computer at a later, more convenient time, re-establish two-way communications, then download and install available computer software on the user computer. If a delayed download is requested, the user will provide access information (e.g. phone number, network address, a file of commands to execute to logon the user computer, etc.) to the update service computer which allows the remote update service computer to re-connect to the user computer. The transfer may use an encryption scheme to permit safe transfer of the software to the user computer.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the system will allow a user to purchase the available computer software electronically. The user, for example, provides credit card information, debit card information, an account number to bill, etc. to the update service computer. Secure transaction technology and/or digital signatures are used to safeguard the payment information. After verifying the payment information, the update service computer permits transfer of the computer software.
The update service has several advantages. A user is automatically provided with information about the available versions of computer software as a result of the inventory conducted by the update center computer. If the version of the computer software on the user computer has defects that are known and have been corrected, the user is alerted to this fact and is offered an up-to-date version of the computer software. The user is also alerted to the availability of new computer software, or enhanced versions of existing computer software, and can purchase them electronically. In either case, the most up-to-date versions of computer software are available for downloading to users.
The available versions of the computer software can also be automatically installed on the user computer. Since it is no longer necessary for the user to install the computer software, the incidence of user related installation problems is greatly reduced. It is also not necessary for the user to obtain or save any storage media since the computer software is downloaded directly to the user computer. If the computer software installed on the user computer ever gets corrupted, the user can call the update service (e.g. for some limited number of iterations) and download a new (and up-to-date) copy of the computer software.
In addition to providing benefits for the user, the illustrated embodiment of the invention provides benefits to the developers of the software. The developers of the computer software save support, distribution, and advertising costs. A user who calls the update service automatically obtains up-to-date versions of available computer software, and may never encounter defects which would have been encountered using an earlier, defective version of the computer software. As a result, a user will require less support from the developers of the software, be more satisfied, and be more willing to purchase future versions of computer software. Since the computer software is downloaded to the user computer, the developers of the computer software may save distribution costs as fewer versions of the computer software have to be copied to storage media and distributed. In addition, since the user is also alerted when new computer software, and/or new versions of existing computer software are available, the software developers may also save advertising costs.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the illustrated embodiment of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.